Rating: 
Summary: an filler, before college
Review: the summer after my senior year of high school, I picked up this book as an easy read (coming off of a diet of Rand and Kant, I figured this would be fun). I was right. This book was fun. It made me laugh, and become anxious, and by the end, it made me realize this is not what I wanted from college. It is a great book to read coming in to college. I have now lived one semester of the college experience and can tell you that times have not changed all that drastically, I have already encounted friends with drug abuse problems (any kid who claims not to have tryed hard drugs in college is lying), two friends who became pregnant(one miscarriage from alcohol and drugs, and one abortion). I have also slipped sometimes, but without this book, I feel as if I would have fallen a little deeper than I did. It was also, once again, a fun read. I recommend it to anyone, and expecially high school seniors.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect. Period.
Review: Ellis is my fave, and RULES will always be the closest to me. It breaks my heart and makes me laugh hysterically simultaneously. Why on earth don't people realize how great Ellis really is ? I guess it's a blessing... critics are so stupid, they'll probably begin worshipping him when he dies or something. But I digress. This is the least known of his books, but it's a damn fine read. Experience it for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Any book that stirs up this much emotion must be quite good
Review: I've always had the feeling that the books really worth reading aren't always the most beloved ones. After one of my more depressing periods in life I looked almost exclusively for decadent stories about real life, and stumbled across Ellis' first book 'Less than Zero' and quite liked it. Read 'the Informers' after that. Not too bad. Then Came 'the Rules of Attraction'. WOW! I can't quite put my finger on the difference between this book and the others, but this one lives and breathes the life of our generation. As Coupland had his generation x, Ellis describes us, the youth of the eighties and nineties, and I think a appropriate name for us would be generation lost. Nothing glorious, just hard work looking for what little meaning life may offer. This book might not be what you'd call a pleasant reading experience(even though I actually find it to be just that), but it's a extremely important one. For the people of this generation it might provide a shortcut to making! some of the important choices we all have to make. I myself found it hard not to like the characters of the book while still realizing that this isn't the way to go, others may come to different conclusions. Finally it would help people of other generations to understand what goes on in the minds of the young people that doesn't really quite know that themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, an accurate description of college life
Review: Less Than Zero may be his classic, American Psycho may be his masterpiece of authorial control, but Rules is his best and most touching book. I go to UC Santa Cruz, a West Coast public school version of Camden. I've lived the lifestyle described in this book, and I've also lived a more straight-laced one. Anyone on-campus really can screw just about anyone else on-campus. You really can find any drug, and people to do them with. Classes are typically full on the first day and test days, and only about half the people show up otherwise. The characters aren't hollow but their lives are and they don't know what to do about it. People tend to love or hate this book. If you are an idealistic liberal, or one who thinks all people are essentially good, you will hate this book. If you're fairly cynical about life this is an incredibly thoughtful and insightful book about college life. Not every college student lives it, but a whole lot do.
Rating: 
Summary: Characters like paper dolls
Review: The characters in this book are completely one-dimensional. They have nothing to offer whatsoever. I was bored stiff out of my mind. They reminded me of soap opera or "Melrose Place" tinsel-trash characters-Especially Lauren. It in no way could match the depth of Less Than Zero. The characters are maladjusted snobby little brats. I could not feel anything for them. When I finished the novel it became a coaster on my desk-too pathetic to even grace my bookshelves, too embarassing. The pages served better to absorb my coffee than to absorb my attention. This one should be retitled "Barbie and Friends Attempt College and Seek Comfy Solace in the Shallow Waters of Their Barbieland Pool".
Rating: 
Summary: An easy read and surprisingly interesting
Review: The book reads as cliched as the contemporary college experience itself, yet, underneath its flawed storyline, self-saturation in popular culture, and boringly post-modern structure, lies a story of not-inconsiderable pathos, and a few memorable scenes pregnant with the sort of wit to which most films can only aspire. Focus on Paul and enjoy some biting dialogue as well as a compelling character.
Rating:
Summary: TREMENDOUS DISAPPOINTMENT
Review: After reading American Psycho, I was extremely excited about reading more of Ellis' work. I bought a copy of The Rules of Attraction and it was honestly no better than a teeny-bob issue of "Tiger Beat"
Rating:
Summary: Not really an overstatement
Review: Ellis's second novel about a Camden trio tangled in a web of sex and drugs is a lot more than some can handle, mainly because it's so close to home. The three main characters take turns being the focus, and events that are important to one may be meaningless to the others. The style of the novel is incredibly fluid; you'll appreciate this when you start reading this novel over and over. After reading this book, I recommended it to all of my friends and acquaintances. Still, if you aren't in the mood to ponder and analyze a book, you might want to pass this one up. One of the most impressive things about this book, in my opinion, was the way I was able to identify with all of the characters, and genuinely feel their triumphs and losses. I didn't think it was possible; I had always had such a low opinion of people like this. I'm glad I didn't let that stop me from reading this book. Bottom line: you will enjoy reading this book, again and again. You will also share it with your friends. Trust me.
Rating:
Summary: I don't think you get it
Review: This is one of the books that will be "refound" later as one of the best works of fiction in the 1980s. I suggest you read the book aloud while driving cross-country with some friends. There's a certain gossipy nature Ellis captures throughout the novel that is stylistically refreshing and intense. Furthermore, for all those who claim this book is one big cliche ... they're right. And I think that's the point. That despite the myriad of different perspectives, sexual preferences, drugs, and majors, these kids are all pretty much the same. I think that's a fairly accurate depiction of college life. A chilling anti-utopian look at our future as a society. Faults: Lauren's character is particularly weak, but then again, Ellis seems to have no particular ability to write interesting females. I also thought the characters are a bit too negative. I thought their lack of love could have dealt with more sympathetically a la Sun also Rises. But nevertheless, a fun, enjoyable, and all to insightfull look at life.
Rating:
Summary: Decadent but Riveting
Review: The first time I read this book, I almost threw it away. Eventually I picked it back up again, finished it, and then proceeded to reread it over and over. While I find the characters morally reprehensible, Ellis has an undeniable flair for characterizing the absurd. These characters remind me of the cyphers who drifted through college drinking, smoking and screwing (but never studying or going to class). The mere fact that they graduated only proves that there exists a reality parallel to mine -- a reality that this book seems to document. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the book is how each character has a different perspective on the "truth". As a result, you're never quite sure what really happened.
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